With fear of escalation in the Middle East, in Brussels today proceedings of the pivotal EU Summit begin with the leaders’ dinner. Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to discuss EU-Turkey relations within the scope of the Greek PM’s anticipated visit to Ankara next month.
Regarding the developments in the Middle East, according to government sources, Mr. Mitsotakis is expected to reiterate Greece’s position of unequivocal condemnation of Iran’s attacks against Israel and to stress that any escalation in the current moment would pose a threat to regional stability and security. While Greece stands by Israel, it underscores in the strongest terms the need for all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation.
Notably, according to sources, next week, Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis is expected to visit Qatar and Kuwait, while yesterday he participated in the emergency video conference of EU Foreign Ministers on the developments.
Win-win relations without illusions
The situation concerning Turkey is expected to be discussed based on the Joint Statement of Josep Borrell and the European Commission regarding EU-Turkey relations. What Mr. Mitsotakis is expected to emphasise is the steadfast position in favour of a mutually beneficial relations without illusions regarding the entrenched positions of the neighbours. “Greece advocates for positive steps in EU-Turkish relations, as long as the Turkish side shows a willingness to cooperate,” underline competent sources, adding that the basis of discussion is the decisions of the European Council, which stipulate that any positive steps taken will be gradually, proportionately, and irreversibly.
In practice, this means that Turkey’s progress is continuously being evaluated, and progress is not intuitive. Mr. Mitsotakis, however, acknowledges tangible de-escalation despite intermittent distended occurrences, choosing to focus on the “bigger picture” The Greek PM expressed in an interview that he is looking forward to his upcoming meeting with Tayyip Erdogan in mid-May.
In coordination with the Republic of Cyprus, Greece also supports the importance of resuming talks and making progress in Cyprus to improve EU-Turkey cooperation. The Greek side maintains that enhanced Greek-Turkish relations can also contribute to efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue.
Regarding competitiveness, the Prime Minister is expected to underline efforts in improving EU competitiveness which is to translate into bettering the quality of life for citizens, meaning higher disposable income for all.
